Behold the Lamb of God

If you think preaching a sermon from Matthew's genealogy of Jesus is a stretch, check out this Christmas album, which puts it into one of its songs.

Andrew Peterson is an excellent Christian singer/songwriter. If you enjoy acoustic folk-pop, then he's an artist you should know. His Christmas album titled Behold the Lamb of God: The True Tall Tale of the Coming of Christ was released in 2004, but now is virtually out of print. I say "virtually" because you can't get it anywhere except Peterson's own website.

But, you can go here to stream the entire album for free, though you do have to click each song title to play the next track. I may just have to spring for the CD-- it's too good to pass up.

Abraham Lincoln Issues a Proclamation of Thanksgiving

It was 145 years ago, (October 3, 1863, to be exact) that Abraham Lincoln issued a Proclamation of Thanksgiving, creating the official holiday that we will celebrate this week. Interestingly enough, this came about nine months after signing the Emancipation Proclamation and about a month and half before delivering the Gettysburg Address. Of course, all this is within the Civil War. The photograph here is of Lincoln in that very year.

While I wish Lincoln had been more Christ-centered in his theology, in many ways he had a more robust theology than most contemporary evangelicals. Read the Proclamation of Thanksgiving, or his justly famous Second Inaugural Address.

The New ESV Study Bible on Matthew

A little over a month ago, Crossway released the new ESV Study Bible. It has been well received, to say the least, since they sold more than the initial print run of 100,000 copies before the release date on October 15. Here's a brief introductory video.

One of the many features of this study Bible is that it also offers an online version that is included with the purchase of any hard copy. They've even made one whole book available for free for anyone, and -- guess what? -- it's Matthew!

Just think, you can click through here, save this address to your favorites, and walk through Matthew week by week with all the notes, maps, and articles from the brand-new, highly acclaimed ESV Study Bible as we go through our new sermon series.

Free Audio - Edwards' "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God"

Jonathan Edwards' sermon titled "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" is recognized as a classic, not just as a sermon, but as a work that helped define its era. For this reason, it is often included in anthologies of American literature.

Go here for a free download of Max McLean narrating an abridged version of this sermon. He has the full recording of this sermon, as well as works by other pillars of Christian history, including Augustine, Martin Luther, John Bunyan, and George Whitefield for sale at his site.

Or, you can read the complete text here at The Jonathan Edwards Center.

Next Sermon - Matthew 1:1-17 on 11/30/08

Here's the text for Sunday. Does it look familiar? We'll mention the ground we covered last year only briefly.

Matthew 1:1-17

1 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

2 Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, 3 and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram, 4 and Ram the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, 5 and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, 6 and Jesse the father of David the king.

And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah, 7 and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph, 8 and Asaph the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah, 9 and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, 10 and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos, and Amos the father of Josiah, 11 and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon.

12 And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Shealtiel, and Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, 13 and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor, 14 and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud, 15 and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob, 16 and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ.

17 So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ fourteen generations.

What do you think I'll be talking about in this sermon? Don't worry, there's plenty to say.

Preaching through the Gospel of Matthew

I just flipped through the book of Matthew again this evening, and I can admit to being intimidated. As much as I am looking forward to preaching the wonderful variety of texts that have to do with the life and teaching of Jesus, there will be a lot of challenging weeks of sermon preparation that lie ahead. Hopefully, there will be a lot of challenging weeks of sermon listening-- because of the text, not the inadequate preacher.

Here's my plan below. The numbers in parenthesis indicate the chapter of Matthew from which the sermon will be taken. This schedule may need to be modified as we go along, and if you read through Matthew, you will probably see that I am not giving attention to every paragraph, though we will read every word aloud over the course of the nearly seventeen months that it will take to do this series, including weeks for other speakers and special events. If we were to preach every section equally, it would take far more than 58 sermons.

We will be starting in 2008 with Advent (that's this coming Sunday), running through 2009, ending April 2010, just after Easter.

Preaching Plan for Matthew

1. Geneology (1) [First Sunday of Advent, 2008]
2. Joseph’s dream (1) [Second Sunday of Advent, 2008]
3. Wise Men (2) [Third Sunday of Advent, 2008]
4. Herod’s Attack on the Messiah (2) [Fourth Sunday of Advent, 2008]
5. John’s Baptism and Jesus’ Baptism (3)
6. Temptation in the Wilderness (4)
7. Beginning of Jesus’ Ministry (4)
8. Beatitudes (5)
9. Witness: Salt & Light (5)
10. Passions: Anger & Lust (5)
11. Promises: Divorce & Oaths (5, 19)
12. Relationships: Retaliation & Love Your Enemies (5)
13. Good Religion: Giving, Praying, Fasting (6)
14. Possessions: Lay Up Treasures & Don’t Worry (6)
15. Judging (7)
16. Asking & Receiving (6, 7)
17. True and False Disciples (7)
18. Jesus’ Healing Ministry (8)
19. Jesus’ Power over the Natural and Supernatural Realms (8)
20. Jesus Came for Sinners (9)
21. Healed through Faith (9)
22. Laborers for the Harvest (9-10)
23. Persecution for the Followers of Christ (10)
24. John’s Question (11)
25. An Easy Yoke (11)
26. Lord of the Sabbath (12)
27. Blasphemy (12)
28. An Evil Generation (12)
29. Parable of the Sower (13)
30. Parables: The Weeds & The Net (13)
31. Parables: Buried Treasure & Priceless Pearl (13)
32. Feeding the Crowds (14, 15)
33. Walking on Water (14)
34. Blind Guides (15)
35. Peter’s Confession (16)
36. Jesus’ Cross and Ours (16)
37. Transfiguration (17)
38. Dealing with Sin (18)
39. Conflict: Reconciliation and Forgiveness (18)
40. Rich Young Man (19)
41. Laborers in the Vineyard (20)
42. The Greatest (18, 20)
43. Triumphal Entry & Temple Cleansing (21)
44. Parables: Two Sons & Tenants (21)
45. Parable of the Wedding Feast (22)
46. Jesus Answers His Challengers (22)
47. Woe to the Scribes and Pharisees (23)
48. Tribulation (24)
49. His Coming (24)
50. Parables: Virgins & Talents (25)
51. Final Judgment (25)
52. Worship, Betrayal, and Denial (26)
53. Passover & Last Supper (26)
54. Gethsemane, Arrest, and Trial (26)
55. Before Pilate (27)
56. Crucifixion (27) [Good Friday, 2010]
57. Resurrection (27, 28) [Easter, 2010]
58. Commission (28)

A Man's Rejection of God Is Bad News for His Neighbor

John Piper passes along this quotation below, which struck me as another expression of the theme of Titus we have been exploring, which was that sound doctrine and godly living go together in the life of the church because, while grace means that salvation is not by works, it also means that we are saved to do good works.

If I want my own way rather than God’s, it is quite obvious that I shall want my own way rather than the other man’s. A man does not assert his independence of God to surrender it to a fellow man, if he can help it.
- Roy Hession, The Calvary Road, p. 35.

If we have been humbled by grace, and have submitted to our Lord and Savior, we will be that much closer to acting grace-fully and loving sacrificially with regard to our neighbors.

Bonus Material from Titus 3

With a movie on DVD, quite often there is additional material beyond the movie itself, usually called special features, bonus material, or something like that. Well, you might not leave Sunday morning thinking, "I can't wait for the DVD of this sermon, so I can get the bonus material" but I often have material that I thought I would say but had to leave out. Think of it as the "deleted scenes" section of your DVD extras.

In this morning's sermon, I focused on what I believe are the main themes of Titus 3:8-15 and their implications for our church. However, I didn't really say anything about Titus 3:12-13, which read as follows:

12 When I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, do your best to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there. 13 Do your best to speed Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way; see that they lack nothing.

While there may not be a lot of doctrine or practical application here, there are some facts that can give us some background, and possibly some room for (careful) speculation.

We already know from Titus 1:5 that Paul had been at Crete before and had left Titus behind to continue the work with the churches there. It seems, then, from verse 12 above that Paul was planning to send someone to relieve Titus, so that he could then rejoin Paul. Apparently, Paul had yet to decided whether it would be Artemas or Tychicus.

Artemas is mentioned nowhere else in Scripture, so we don't really know anything about him. Tychicus is mentioned a few times, from these we know that he served as a carrier for Paul's letters to both the Ephesians and the Colossians. Paul described him as "a beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord" (Colossians 4:7).

Here's where it gets interesting. In 2 Timothy 4:12, Paul says that he has sent Tychicus to Ephesus. 2 Timothy was written after Titus, so we may speculate that Tychicus relieved Timothy in Ephesus, and very likely Artemas must have been sent to relieve Titus in Crete.

Verse 13 may not seem to be very enlightening, but scholars believe that the wording here-- "do your best to speed [them] on their way"-- suggests that Zenas and Apollos were the carriers of this very letter from Paul to Titus that has come to be recognized as part of Scripture. As with the other two men, we don't know anything more about Zenas than we have here, though it seems likely that this is the well-known Apollos that is mentioned in Acts and elsewhere (e.g., 1 Corinthians 3:4-6).

Of course, the need of these missionaries was an opportunity for the church to practice its good works, and that does tie in to the key themes of the book expressed within the very next verse.

Perhaps this could be a practical application for you from these verses. If you'd ever like to host a missionary in your home, let our church office or the Missions Ministry Team know ahead of time. We'd be glad to see if that might work when we have missionary guests who could use some hospitality.

Unwelcome Tasks

Here's a great quotation on fighting procrastination, passed along by C. J. Mahaney:

No unwelcome tasks become any the less unwelcome by putting them off till tomorrow. It is only when they are behind us and done, that we begin to find that there is a sweetness to be tasted afterwards, and that the remembrance of unwelcome duties unhesitatingly done is welcome and pleasant. Accomplished, they
are full of blessing, and there is a smile on their faces as they leave us. Undone, they stand threatening and disturbing our tranquility, and hindering our communion with God. If there be lying before you any bit of work from which you shrink, go straight up to it, and do it at once. The only way to get rid of it is to do it.

- Alexander MacLaren (1826–1910), Scottish preacher

A Summary of Church Discipline

Because Titus 3:9-11 falls within the larger text for the sermon tomorrow, we will be addressing the topic of church discipline. We will not be able to cover it completely, but we will give you an insert with several Scripture passages that pertain to this practice.

For a good summary of church discipline, here's a piece by Don Whitney:

Church discipline is plainly taught in the Scriptures. It is one of the primary means that the Lord has ordained for bringing about repentance and restoration in the lives of His erring children. When practiced according to Scripture, church discipline is an act of obedience that demonstrates our love for the Lord and our desire to have fellowship with Him by walking in the light of his truth. Biblical church discipline also serves as a deterrent to sin; preserves the unity, purity, and reputation of Christ's church; and helps to clear the conscience and reputation of the repenting member. In practicing church discipline, each member of a church assumes the responsibility of lovingly watching over the other members of the church for the purpose of encouraging holiness and discouraging disorderly behavior in each member and in the church as a whole; and each member consents to being so watched over. When
other Biblical measures prove ineffective, those members of the church who refuse to repent of sin and submit to the church will be expelled from the church and turned over to Satan. When the disciplined member gives sufficient evidence of genuine repentance, the church is to heartily express forgiveness and receive the offender into fellowship again.

Go here for the source article containing the Scripture passages that are the foundation for this paragraph. Here is a much more extensive article on church discipline from another helpful site.

ESV: The English Standard Version Bible

I had someone ask me recently why I prefer the English Standard Version (ESV) Bible. I gave too long an answer at the time, but basically it comes down to two points:

1. It is an "essentially literal" translation, which means that it tries to translate from the original Hebrew and Greek in a word-for-word manner as much as possible. Sometimes thought-for-thought or "dynamic equivalent" translations like the NIV end up doing more interpretation through their translation.



2. The ESV is within the historic stream of English Bibles that includes the work of William Tyndale and the King James Version. Thus, there are still echoes of the rich and noble literary quality rendered in its choice of words. This sets it apart from most modern translations, and tends to make it more readable than the NASB.

Here are a couple of articles from ESV.org, if you'd like to read further. Of course, the site itself has many more resources, including an introductory video.

Translation Philosophy

From KJV to ESV: A Historical Legacy

How Is the ESV Different from Other Translations?

No more 1950's church!

I guess not all church "innovation" happened in the last twenty years. These are shots of a real drive-in church from 1951, from the archive of LIFE magazine's photography now available here.

Next Sermon - Titus 3:8-15 on 11/23/08

This week's sermon will conclude our series in Paul's letter to Titus. It should be interesting to explore the issue of church discipline (9-11) and wrap up the theme of good works (8, 14).

Titus 3:8-15

8 The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people. 9 But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless. 10 As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, 11 knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.

12 When I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, do your best to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there. 13 Do your best to speed Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way; see that they lack nothing. 14 And let our people learn to devote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not be unfruitful.

15 All who are with me send greetings to you. Greet those who love us in the faith. Grace be with you all.

What about civil disobedience?

This past Sunday, the text for the sermon began this way:

Titus 3:1-2
1 Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, 2 to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.

Noting texts like Romans 13:1 ff. and 1 Peter 2:13-17, I emphasized our responsibility to submit and obey our governmental authorities, even when we disagree with them, because they are a part of God’s order in our world.

I did mention only briefly the exception to this rule, as exemplified by Peter and the apostles, who responded to the council with the words, “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:27-29). Of course, two of the most memorable stories of the Old Testament would serve here as well: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace (Daniel 3), and Daniel in the lions’ den (Daniel 6).

Someone asked me at the close of the service, “What then is the role of civil disobedience?” It seems that we do not have justification for disobeying governmental authorities, such as refusing to pay our taxes, because we disagree with them or because they are unjust or even wicked. However, if they demand that we forsake the worship of the Lord, either ceasing to practice our faith or forcing us to practice another one, then we must resist.

However, if we are to be faithful to other texts, such as Matthew 5:38-42 we will practice a certain kind of disobedience, one that does not involve retaliation. It means that we will be willing to be arrested and face punishment for the laws that we break due to our conscience and faith.

It is no secret that the teachings of the New Testament, particularly in Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, influenced both Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr., in their practice of nonviolent resistance. Just as these men promoted this practice as a part of their concern for civil rights, it should characterize our own response to persecution.

I’ll end this already lengthy post with this passage from 1 Peter 2, which gives Jesus Christ as not only a teacher of this kind of attitude, but our chief example as well:

1 Peter 2:13-24
13 Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, 14 or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. 15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. 16 Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. 17 Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor. 18 Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. 19 For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. 20 For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. 21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. 22 He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.

Walk the Aisle

In our recent "Meet the Pastor" gatherings, some folks asked why we don't do altar calls or give invitations at the end of our worship services. This is one topic that we will address in our congregational meeting this Sunday evening, but I thought I'd give you something to start your own thoughts on this topic.

Here is an unbiased article called "Walk the Aisle" from ChristianHistory.net that provides some of the background of this now common practice.

Are You One of the Twelve?

This comes from the EFCA Great Lakes District Update for Fall 2008. I'm including this for your prayer for the work of church planting in our region through the EFCA. Even though church planting is "off the table" for our church right now, it is not out of the room!

Acts 14:27 Report

We believe that it is time to build upon our advancements in church planting by moving beyond addition of churches to multiplying healthy churches across the GLD-EFCA. This requires a change in thought and a change in strategy – to move from partnering pioneer church planters with healthy churches to equipping healthy churches to start new churches.

This is a monumental shift in strategy. But it is more true to our mission of multiplying healthy churches among all people. We are asking important questions. What would it look like if new churches were birthed in the hearts of a sending church? How would we deploy our ACTS System of assessment, coaching, training, and strategic partnerships differently?

We came to this simple 3 year goal:

• Identify and equip 12 lead sending (mother) churches.
• Identify 12 partner churches to help the lead church.
• Identify 12 lead church planters.

The result is 12 new EFCA churches and 36 EFCA churches involved in church planting. The question I have for you—are you one of the twelve?

• Are you one of the 12 lead sending churches?
• Are you one of the 12 partner churches?
• Are you one of the 12 lead church planters?

Pray and ask for God’s direction, wisdom, and courage.

Prayer Requests

• Pray that God would be glorified by many people receiving Christ through our church plants in the GLD.
• Pray for the identification of twelve mother churches.
• Pray for the identification of twelve lead church planters.
• Pray for strong relationships between our church planters and their coaches.
• Pray that we would have a spirit of power, love, and self-discipline (2 Timothy 1:7).

See the entire newsletter here, and scroll down to page 6 to see descriptions and picture of church planters working in Lafayette, IN, Hamilton Township, OH, Lisle, IL, Lyons, IL, Grayling, MI, and the Beverly/Morgan Park area in Chicago, IL.

"Is it legitimate to question God?"

Is it legitimate to question God? Al Mohler provides a good answer by making a helpful distinction between two kinds of questioning.

"Creeping Christmas"

A week ago, on Election Day, our village lit its Christmas tree on the square. That was November 4, less than a week after Halloween, and 51 days before Christmas. Today, since it was Veterans Day, each of our downtown streetlight poles bore both Christmas decorations and the American flag.

This past Friday evening, I was in Wal-Mart with my family. Not only was there Christmas decorations at the front door, but Tony Bennett was crooning Christmas songs over the store-wide sound system. Clearly, it wasn't just signaling that Christmas is coming. At Wal-Mart, Christmas is already here!

Does it seem to you like Christmas arrives earlier each year? According to this story from The New York Times, "creeping Christmas" is not a figment of your imagination. And it's no accident either.

It's not that I'm angry about holiday overlap, too-early decorations, and the eclipse of Thanksgiving (though I can admit that I'm a little annoyed). And I'm not writing here to rail against Wal-Mart or even our good village. I want to make us think about our own practices as people who claim to celebrate Christmas in all its religious and historical significance as the birth of Jesus Christ, who came to be our Savior.

Now, there's no rule about when you can put up your tree. Let me be clear-- this is not a moral issue, as such. But, on the other hand, I think it's worth asking the question: At what point do our celebrations begin to take on a life of their own apart from that which was meant to be celebrated?

This question pertains to far more than our decorations; we could easily apply it to our gifts, goodies, gatherings, and so on. When do we say "that's enough" or even "slow down" or maybe "not yet"? And it isn't just a matter of moderation rather than overindulgence. If we examine our own holiday habits, will we find that we are we doing what we do for the sake of celebrating Jesus Christ, or just celebrating the celebration of Christmas?

As professing Christians, we know how much the wider culture has preserved "Christmas" as merely parties and presents (or perhaps as the original economic stimulus package) while emptying it of its confessional content. We may already be at the point where we just might honor Christ more by celebrating Christmas less.

Next Sermon - Titus 3:1-8 on 11/16/08

Here's the passage for this coming Sunday. Read it, reflect on it, and feel free to post a comment or question here that you would like to see addressed in the sermon.

Titus 3:1-8

1 Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, 2 to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people. 3 For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. 4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. 8 The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people.

Sobering Statistics on Stewardship

From a review of the book Passing the Plate: Why American Christians Don't Give Away More Money--

Chapter 1 hits the reader like a ton of bricks, spelling out in detail what American Christians could accomplish if they would tithe. If just the "committed Christians" (defined as those who attend church at least a few times a month or profess to be "strong" or "very strong" Christians) would tithe, there would be an extra 46 billion dollars a year available for kingdom work. To make that figure more concrete, the authors suggest dozens of different things that $46 billion would fund each year: for example, 150,000 new indigenous missionaries; 50,000 additional theological students in the developing world; 5 million more micro loans to poor entrepreneurs; the food, clothing and shelter for all 6,500,000 current refugees in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East; all the money for a global campaign to prevent and treat malaria; resources to sponsor 20 million needy children worldwide. Their conclusion is surely right: "Reasonably generous financial giving of ordinary American Christians would generate staggering amounts of money that could literally change the world."

While I don't believe that tithing (giving 10% of your income to the church) is "law" in the way that it was for God's people under the old covenant, I do think it is impossible to read passages like 2 Corinthians chapters 8 and 9 and conclude that we don't need to give in ways that significantly impact our lifestyle. If we think that generosity only negatively impacts our lifestyle, then we have some growing to do.

At the same time, I continue to give thanks for the many who gave toward our outstanding Missions Festival of Praise offering on November 2! We are seeing some of the impact that is described in that quotation above through our giving.

Prophecies for Our Time?

Somebody (not a part of our church) forwarded to me an email that they had received, in which a "rabbi" put forward these premises:

1. The Hebrew word Barak means "lightning." Bamah is "high place, or heights."
2. Isaiah 14:14 records words often ascribed to Lucifer (though not explicitly attributed to him in the text): "I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High."
3. In Luke 10:18, Jesus says, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven."
4. In Matthew 24:27, Jesus says, "For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man."

I don't think I have to tell you his conclusion(s).

Here's how I responded to my friend:

Dear [Name],

I wouldn't put much stock in it. Do you remember when people counted the letters in Ronald Wilson Reagan and realized it was 666?

Barak, as noted in the email that you saw, is a biblical name, and it does mean "lightning." It was the name of the victorious military leader of the Israelites at the time Deborah was a judge. He doesn't seem exactly heroic in Judges 4, but he does get a mention in Hebrews 11:32 toward the end of the list of Old Testament men and women of exemplary faith. So, one could just as easily argue that the Bible predicts that President Obama will be a hero, but I'd say they were using their Bible rather poorly. I don't think he'll be either the messiah some people seem to think he is, or the antichrist that others fear he'll be.

The bigger issue here is that biblical prophecy does not work as a secret code. Yes, some things are obscure and symbolic, but we're a lot better off sticking to passages that directly describe what the antichrist will be like, not piecing together words into a composite picture that men have fabricated from their often wild imaginations.

And, we're supposed to be ready for Christ's return all the time anyway, so it's not that much difference.

Bruce

The Church in the World

From the second century Letter to Diognetus:

For Christians cannot be distinguished from the rest of the human race by country or language or customs. They do not live in cities of their own; they do not use a peculiar form of speech; they do not follow an eccentric manner of life. This doctrine of theirs has not been discovered by the ingenuity or deep thought of inquisitive men, nor do they put forward a merely human teaching, as some people do. Yet, although they live in Greek and barbarian cities alike, as each man's lot has been cast, and follow the customs of the country in clothing and food and other matters of daily living, at the same time they give proof of the remarkable and admittedly extraordinary constitution of their own commonwealth. They live in their own countries, but only as aliens. They have a share in everything as citizens, and endure everything as foreigners. Every foreign land is their fatherland, and yet for them every fatherland is a foreign land. They marry, like everyone else, and they beget children, but they do not cast out their offspring. They share their board with each other, but not their marriage bed. It is true that they are "in the flesh," but they do not live "according to the flesh." They busy themselves on earth, but their citizenship is in heaven. They obey the established laws, but in their own lives they go far beyond what the laws require. They love all men, and by all men are persecuted. They are unknown, and still they are condemned; they are put to death, and yet they are brought to life. They are poor, and yet they make many rich; they are completely destitute, and yet they enjoy complete abundance. They are dishonored, and in their very dishonor are glorified; they are defamed, and are vindicated. They are reviled, and yet they bless; when they are affronted, they still pay due respect. When they do good, they are punished as evildoers; undergoing punishment, they rejoice because they are brought to life. They are treated by the Jews as foreigners and enemies, and are hunted down by the Greeks; and all the time those who hate them find it impossible to justify their enmity.

I had heard of this work before, but was reminded of it again when I saw a portion of it quoted in an article titled "Aliens and Citizens."

Praying for the New President

I was about ready to go to bed last night when I turned the TV back on to see where things stood with the election. McCain had conceded, and Obama was getting ready to speak. I figured I should listen to the next President, so I stayed up and watched a bit of the celebration.

I've skimmed several articles today that were interesting and insightful, but I'm going to leave you with these simple reminders, courtesy of Justin Taylor:

No matter who you voted for--or whether you voted at all--it's important to remember that, as President, Barack Obama will have God-given authority to govern us, and that we should view him as a servant of God (Romans 13:1, 4) to whom we should be subject (Romans 13:1, 5; 1 Peter 2:13-14).

We are to pray for Barack Obama (1 Timothy 2:1-2).
We are to thank God for Barack Obama (1 Timothy 2:1-2).
We are to respect Barack Obama (Romans 13:7).
We are to honor Barack Obama (Romans 13:7; 1 Peter 2:17).

There are many qualifications to add to these exhortations--[...] but it's still mportant to remember that these are requirements for all Bible-believing Christians.

Not surprisingly, Jesus covers the entire range of options when he gave us these two commands: "love your neighbor" and "love your enemies." I'll leave it to you as to where you'd like to categorize President George W. Bush and President-Elect Barack Obama.

In God's good providence, we'll be looking at Titus 3:1 and the verses that follow on Sunday morning, November 16. I hope you'll be there.

Quotation for Election Day

Via WQOTW:

A Christian is literally "Christ's one," someone who is not just vaguely influenced by Christian teaching, but who has switched his or her most fundamental allegiance to Jesus. Christians understand the all-or-nothing choice that is forced upon us by the magnitude of Jesus' claims.

From the earliest days, the confession of Christians was CHRISTOS KURIOS--"Jesus is Lord." In the historical context, in which it was required to say KAISER KURIOS, "Caesar is Lord," this confession meant that Jesus was the supreme power. He was not just a divine angelic being, but, as an early Christian hymn put it, he had "the name above every name" (Philippians 2:9). In him "All the fullness of the godhead dwells bodily" (Colossians 2:9).

--Timothy Keller, THE REASON FOR GOD: BELIEF IN AN AGE OF SKEPTICISM, pp. 228-29.

So, to whom or to what do you pledge your allegiance? It is good to remember that the earliest Christians were misunderstood or mischaracterized by others as a threat to the empire (unpatriotic?), though the Christians themselves worked hard to be the best citizens they could be.

[Click through Keller's name to see his church, and the book title to view the companion website, which offers some good audio.]

Next Sermon - Titus 2:11-15 on 11/09/08

Here's the text for next Sunday's sermon:

Titus 2:11-15
11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, 12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, 13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.
15 Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you.

Read it, think about it, and if you like, post a question or reflection in the comments. I may not reply here, but it might show up in the sermon!

Free Song - "Hear the Call of the Kingdom" and more

If you read the fine print on our PowerPoint slides on Sunday mornings, you'll see the name Stuart Townend quite frequently. I'm sure I'll post more on him some other time, but for now, you can go to this site to see his latest album download a copy of the song we introduced yesterday: "Hear the Call of the Kingdom." Not only that, but you can also get "Across the Lands" (which we used to start the service yesterday morning) and "There Is a Hope" (which I sang as a solo last month). Double bonus!

ReachGlobal Video

We started the service last night with this video from ReachGlobal, the missions arm of the EFCA. [I'm sorry-- I had wanted to embed the video here, but you'll just have to use the link.]

A Jaw-Dropping, Faith-Building Offering

If you didn't make it to our Missions Festival of Praise evening service last night, then you missed an incredible faith-building moment.

The elders had set what we call a "prayer goal" of $36,000 for this offering. That's not the biggest goal we've ever had, but it's still very large for our church, and in the current economic climate, I think it's safe to say that everyone, including the elders themselves, considered it to be wishful thinking.

I was prepared to be thankful for much less. If you were there, you will remember that I said that if we were to get more than $36,000, it would have to be God that did it, and if it were to be less, then we would have to trust that God would make it just the right amount for the purpose he had in mind.

As Chester announced the result of the offering, my mouth was agape. $38,570! How do you explain that? Only God.

Some told me later that they expected half that amount to be received. I guess God had other plans. I'm chalking it up to "mustard-seed faith"-- though I think for everyone, it's bigger today than it was yesterday.